


when i was drowning, that's when i could finally breathe

by johnshuaa



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Rain, Romance, Thunderstorms, broke college kids, i barely have any tags this sucks, it took my bff like 87 tries to guess which ship this was for goddamn woman, jisoo is a big softie, my biases in one ship uwu, sassy hao is sassy hao everyone loves sassy hao, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 06:10:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14664930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnshuaa/pseuds/johnshuaa
Summary: Minghao is just a little afraid of thunderstorms.





	when i was drowning, that's when i could finally breathe

**Author's Note:**

> ahahahaha i haven't posted in 168541321 years and i also have not written anything for my chaptered stuff sorry bye
> 
> title from clean by taylor swift

 

Everything about thunderstorms made Minghao feel like shit.

There’s nothing particularly scary about them. Except for the thunder. And the lightning. And the rain. Scratch that, everything about thunderstorms is scary.

Where Minghao’s from, there was rarely any storms. Usually, it’s just lots of rain, and occasionally hail or snow. Now that he moved to the big city of Seoul, living in a fourth story apartment, it’s all different. During winter seasons, there’s rain nearly every day, and then spontaneous storms throughout the other seasons. It always caught Minghao off guard.

Which is why Minghao is currently buried beneath three layers of blankets, sitting on a pile of pillows, the TV playing some popular drama at top volume. It keeps Minghao warm and drowns out the thunder outside.

This is a usual occurrence, and Jisoo often has to dig him out after he comes home from work.

And usually, Jisoo is home by 6 pm to snap Minghao out of his stupor. The last time he checked, it’s already 6:15. Jisoo is never late, and if he really had something to do at work, he’d text Minghao at least two hours beforehand. This is a first, and Minghao is very, _very_ worried.

On top of that, the thunder is so close to him right now, with lightning flashing every few minutes right outside the window. Minghao clutches the blankets closer to his chin as an ad about an allergy pill plays on the screen.

The clock ticks so slowly that even the commercial break seems longer than it actually is. Every ad is interrupted by a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning, spaced through 5-minute intervals. The TV goes quiet for a minute while switching back to the main show, and there’s heavy rain pounding on the roof which echoes through the walls.

 _Jisoo is out there somewhere_ , Minghao thinks, and despite the warmth he’s surrounded by, he shudders. At this point, his foot is asleep somewhere underneath the pillows. His phone is probably lost between the folds of the blankets, so he has no way of knowing where it is unless he gets a notification.

The TV becomes a nuisance, and Minghao leans forward to attempt to grab the remote. He tumbles off his spot on the couch and turns into a giant burrito stuck on the floor.

After some rolling and lots of struggling, Minghao untucks himself from the sheets and turns the TV off. He’s engulfed in silence now, except for the incessant drumming of rain against metal.

Without Jisoo there to comfort him, Minghao decides that the least he could do is clean some of his mess and hope that the thunder doesn’t get louder. He picks up the blankets, folding and stacking them on the couch. then placing the pillows on top.

He sits and stares at the clock as the hands line up to 6:30. He waits.

  


Traffic in the city is horrible, and adding the weather makes it take three times as long to get home. There are too many cars and too many people all stuffed in a fixed area of space.

Jisoo is usually a pretty patient person when it comes to dealing with situations he’s caught in. He takes the bus to work every day to save some money, and yeah, that big thing drives rather slowly. He understands that this is just something he’ll have to deal with in exchange for saving a couple bucks.

However, it’s raining a bit harder than usual, and it seems that the eye of the storm is just over top. The windshield wipers of the bus are going a hundred miles per hour, trying and failing to rid the rain from the glass. The cars outside honk at each other as if it would make them drive any faster.  
Jisoo leans his forehead on the cool glass and imagines the rain directly hitting him in the face rather than the window. He’s bored, he’s tired, and he’s worried for his little Minghao back home, probably huddled in a blanket mound on the couch and watching some Chinese cartoon.

He wishes he could be home, but there’s approximately two miles, a couple hundred cars, and an entire storm between them. He hates that.  
His phone decided to die an hour ago, right as he boarded the bus, so he couldn’t charge it during work. It’s what happens when he’s too cheap to buy a new device and settles with bringing his charger everywhere and hoping there’s an outlet somewhere. The thing is, Jisoo can’t contact Minghao in any way, because he refuses to pick up the landline when it’s dark and rainy outside, whining _I don’t feel safe enough to leave my nest._

The bus isn’t very full around now. It’s a Friday night, so most workers opted to leave earlier or drive themselves back rather than take the company bus. Jisoo, sadly, doesn’t have that option. He’s probably stuck taking public transportation until he’s fifty.

Ten minutes later, and the bus only moved a couple yards at most. The thunder seems to get even louder the closer Jisoo gets to his destination. There are still plenty of people outside, though they don’t look like they’re having a very good time under an umbrella that certainly doesn’t block the rain.

Usually, the weather doesn’t stop any of the festivities in the big city. Rain or shine, the clubs, shops, and restaurants are all open and hosting any patrons willing to go. Today is not one of those days. Everything just seems dull. The lights are dimmed by the layers of rain and there are hardly any tourists around to make up for the lack of activity.

If thunderstorms could make such a busy city look depressed, then Jisoo wonders what it would do to a tiny, suburban town.

His thoughts are interrupted by the intercom of the bus, which is rarely ever used, hence the sudden screeching. A couple of young students on the bus slap their hands over their ears from the loud noise.

“Pardon this interruption but-”

The rumble around them pauses. Jisoo realizes that the engine must have stopped.

“Our bus seems to have malfunctioned at this moment. We will try to get this problem fixed as soon as possible, but the weather may hold up this progress. Any passengers who want to leave can make their way to the front and let the driver know. We are sorry for this delay.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jisoo mutters under his breath. He’s already later than usual, and of course, it’s his luck for something like _this_ to happen, of all days.

He glances out the window again. Suddenly, the rain seems a bit lighter, enough for Jisoo to walk the last mile though. Minghao is home, and he’s afraid and alone, and Jisoo can’t stand that.

He grabs his bag and buttons up his trenchcoat, then makes his way to the front. The driver nods at him, opening the door. There’s a flash of lightning again, and he hears one of the passengers behind him squeak.

_Minghao is home, alone._

Jisoo puts his bag over his head, steps out, and prepares to run.

 

Minghao feels like he’s drowning. It’s not an over exaggeration at this point. Rather than watching TV, he decides to roll himself back up in the blankets and lies on the bed, just a bit more comfort than before.

He found his phone while migrating over to the bedroom, and lays it on the nightstand beside him. There’s no texts or calls from Jisoo at all.

Another roll of thunder hits, and Minghao sucks in a breath. When lightning flashes, the bright streaks are blurred from Minghao’s sudden tears. He wipes his cheeks on the blanket, but his face is still wet and gross.

He’s not scared of the thunder or lightning. Well, just a bit less scared of it. He’s worried about Jisoo, who’s out there in the dangerous weather. He could be stuck in traffic, stuck outside, maybe even stuck at work because he can’t get out. Minghao is frightened by that prospect.

Maybe he could go and find him. Just peek his head out of the lobby, check for the bus or the familiar beige trench coat. His pink hair should be easy to spot in the dark crowd. Minghao’s blanket slowly begins to slide off his body as he thinks.

 _Yeah, I’ll go find him._ The rain is making him crazy, and the claps of thunder making him delirious. He’s shrugging on one of Jisoo’s spare jackets, a darker coat with a layer of soft fur inside, over his pajamas. Then, he trudges out to the front door, slipping on a pair of old sneakers. He makes sure to grab the spare keys, then leaves and takes the elevator down to the lobby.

Nobody is on duty at the front desk. The light above Minghao flickers on and off. He doesn’t live in a luxurious penthouse, between college and a part-time job at a dinky electronics shop which doesn’t really allow upgrading in the center of Seoul where everything is extremely pricey.

The rain seems to pound on the concrete outside even harder than from a couple stories up. Minghao could hear every little drop splash against the puddles on the ground, which then splashes up as more pedestrians hurry past.

The little lightbulb on top of the front desk swings from its cord as the door opened, Minghao’s next door neighbor walking in and shaking the rain off his umbrella.

“Hey, Minghao.” It’s Junhui. He and Minghao tend to get along pretty well, having both originated from China and moving all the way to Korea for university. “Crazy weather we’re having. You haven’t stepped outside today, right?”

Minghao shudders. “No, thank goodness.”  
“Yeah, it’s bad outside. Say hi to Jisoo for me then.” With that, he’s taking the stairs by two up to his own apartment.

There’s another clap of thunder, and Minghao actually jumps up and covers his ears with his palms. What was he thinking? He has no chance outside if he’s already so scared while inside.

 _But your Jisoo is out there, Hao,_ he thinks to himself. _Go get him._

He steps closer to the front door, glancing through the glass at the dark grey skies and its contrast against the bright Seoul lights.

With a deep breath, Minghao hugs his jacket around him a bit tighter and runs out.  

  


Whoever decided to make Jisoo dye his hair pink, they shouldn’t have. It’s too bright and unusual, especially because he works a dull office job where everyone around him is either middle-aged, boring people, or young and broke college students like him.

Which is why he takes public transportation, and that’s why he’s running through the rain, soaked to the core, and trying but failing to dodge people with umbrellas walking a bit too slow.

A mile isn’t too hard to run, considering Jisoo used to be on the track team in high school. However, he’s out of shape, and there doesn’t ever seem to be enough oxygen for him to breathe. From the curb, as he waits for the lights to turn green, Jisoo can spot the dim lights of his apartment complex.

He jogs across the street, weaving through some slower pedestrians, ducking under the overheads of shops in an attempt to hide from the rain. It doesn’t work.

Jisoo keeps running, but he’s extremely out of breath and has to speed walk instead. He gets several dirty glances from the people around him, but he can see his destination clearly from where he is. He picks up his pace, and in return, rams his shoulder into a hunched over figure.

“Shoot, I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Jisoo says, but he’s just being polite so he can get away and go home.

Instead, he hears a hearty sob, and  _why does that jacket look so familiar?_

Jisoo looks, and the man has dark hair, probably because he’s just as soaked as Jisoo. His hair is longer in the back, plastered to the nape of his neck. There’s a small red scar right underneath the strands that Jisoo had run his fingers along millions of times before.

“Minghao. Hao, what are you doing out here?”

Jisoo helps Minghao up to his feet, propping Minghao’s body against his hip, and hobbled the short distance to their apartment complex. Once they reach the lobby, little sniffles and the occasional cough rings through the silence.

Jisoo quickly unlocks their apartment door, kicking off his shoes and throwing his jacket off. He peels the trench coat off of Minghao and discards it in the hallway, then pulls him to the bathroom.

As Jisoo runs hot water into the bathtub, he strips Minghao’s wet clothes off, helping him in. Minghao lets out a small sigh, resting his head on the edge of the tub, eyes closed. Jisoo crouches by the edge, watching him relax into the warmth.

“Why did you leave? I was going to be back soon, Minghao.” Jisoo’s voice is soft but tense, maybe even laced with anger. He’s good at hiding his emotions.

Minghao reaches out to catch Jisoo’s arm. “You’re cold, Shua.”

“I’ll live. Please answer me.”

Even though the water is practically boiling, Minghao shivers. “I wanted to find you.”

“Out in the rain? There was a storm outside, Hao. You could have gotten hurt.”

“You could have, too. You were the one walking in the rain in the first place.”

Jisoo sighs, putting a cold hand on Minghao’s neck.

“You were late. You’re never late, and you always tell me if you were.”

“My phone was dead.”

“That doesn’t explain why you were walking home.”

“The bus also died.”

Minghao chokes out a laugh. “How come technology decided to keep dying on you today?”

Jisoo smiles, running his thumb across Minghao’s cheek. His legs scream at him from overuse, so Jisoo adjusts so that he’s sitting. Then, he sneezes.

“Shua, you’re gonna get sick.”

“I’ll be fine.” Jisoo sneezes again.

Minghao pulls at Jisoo, who leans over the edge of the tub, face warming up from the steam rising from the water. Minghao tugs at Jisoo’s wool sweater, pulling it off of him. It’s freezing cold and completely soaked, probably ruined at this point.

“Get in here, you mule,” Minghao says pulling his knees in to make more room.

Jisoo obeys, peeling off the rest of his clothes. He sits opposite of Minghao, the two in utter silence except for the running water. Jisoo eventually shuts it off and grabs Minghao’s hand.

“I was so worried about you. I thought you died or something,” Minghao says, and he could feel tears coming, a lump caught in his throat.

Jisoo inches closer. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry for worrying you. I shouldn’t have run out like that. I was just scared that you got stuck somewhere, and I had to save you or something. Not that I could have anyways…”

The storm hit again, thunder echoing loudly outside. Minghao shrieks and shuts his eyes, tight. “You see,” he laughs bitterly. “I get scared from a little sound. How could I have been so stupid.”

“Hao, you were being heroic. Stupid, but heroic.”

“Calling me stupid isn’t going to make me feel better.” But Minghao is smiling again, and that’s all it takes.

As the water begins to cool, Jisoo gets up and grabs a towel, drying himself quickly and heading to his room to find clothes. He puts on some fuzzy pajamas and chooses a large shirt for Minghao.

Once the two of them are clean and much drier than before, Jisoo throws Minghao onto the bed, wrapping him up in a large blanket and cuddling him in. He presses a small kiss onto the scar on the back of Minghao’s neck.

“Please don’t worry me like that again, Hao.”

Jisoo feels Minghao’s head shake, and he tightens his arms around Minghao’s waist.

Lightning strikes outside, flashing through the window, and Minghao only flinches ever so slightly, lacing his fingers with Jisoo’s hand around his body. A couple minutes later, there’s a roar of thunder, but Jisoo only feels Minghao’s chest moving up and down slowly. Just like that, he’s asleep. Jisoo counts the minutes between each clap of thunder until there’s so much silence in between that he gets bored and rests his chin on Minghao’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> stalk me on  
> twitter  
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/johnshuaa)


End file.
